Flow-meter.



J. WILKINSON.

FLOW METER.

APPLICATION IlLED JAN.14, 1914.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Inventor". James Wilkirwsom 13 f M His fittor'neg III III Ill-Ill;

wltnesses SCHENECTK Y, NITW GQRPQBATIQN 01? NEW YORK.

PATENT OFFICE.

YUEK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC FYLUVLN ETEH.

lz'akmitmi Oct. 29. 179i 4.

Appiisa'tion mm Jamilir 34 1914' Seriai No. 511,940,

w sum :1 1

SiiitHO-ftzldifl ;intjc iii 9 of New York, have. invciitmi ,t n ncwi and nsefui ii'n 'n'm'cn'vtnis in Finn-1 "ieters; of wizi 'n the 'f ]iu-ving; is epevifiv-iiion.

MY inwntiijm T'tiflftSi to firm inttvrs. and pzirti nim'iy t0 flow meters 0?. tiie U marvnry typo in? use in measuring inm or other vnni ieqiiiile vnpnrsx I win describe mv im entinn as rviated to the finw of Steam. niit itv Wiii i imiierstnmi that it is not u essaril an ii iiifldi.

A; ariiinzii'ii ifjjwi ti U-tniw 0f i ain llititl is t 'e-ptwi Hm m "in? Frmting a IIIBQSUI'U iiit't'crn ru vshivh viii-its witintiie rate 0! tinw in mean; sintaiivin pipes: thz'migh which tbs prossii i. are iil'flnt lni id. These; pipes in th case of tmnn flow are pifvfciniih' at-pt iiiied with waitmy snt ii an zii'rzmgmnoni ii ing ii timid? fui'varinw swim W7:eiio'ni: a change in hip my; of flow Gimme. the wntoi noinmn on one side of the U-tnhc inwm-mi. while that on the other side spills own, this 3 "111" the} m-diiinry arrangement pas n intn the main k conduit. W heiwvm a npii. O-TTUYS tin-re madi is a change in thc "Pitiiimi (if the static i dun tn the inwvring f the writer column in Ont of the pi; and am! wt'ial arr-annementr 1U? fifffl'ili 'i in; will int'v'miww (X'I'OK intn tin xmini if the mail; initii snPh time as 1 pipe :ig 'n net-nines filled with liquid due to minim 'tumi The PIGRPYJi inventinn has fm' its object 5 to improve the operatinn of n'ietei's off the class described and to that end comprises a means for 'pnsitivnl v and quit-wily supi iiiving such an amount of liquid to Pit/i183 by: of the U-tnbe as "will c' 'imnensate for that displaced by the 'flnidpressum as a, result of a vhan ze in the rate of flow 0f the fluid being meteredx F0! 11 cm'nplete understanding of my invention attenti ii is directed to the fo'linwing Spevifirntinn Whvrein 1 Qis :1

L 3 and 'a i'e the 1 wading an whivh the mercury miinnn pipirx L trailing legs w pectivoiy of a U-sl nmnmnewi'. This. mannn'ioter may Hike nj; zippmvmi form. tho iliustmtii'm in i'awii'ig being: din -mnn'mitiv in nature. in? U--illi?& Kunmin a budy m? ma z'wiz-v 5 and adjacent; Ont, in?? as tho trmiing icg for in the t izziiing ii ,iniig be compared to indimto the mite of flow.

"i is a suitabie agent fnr creating a preabUiL (iifiimnce Whitii HTS a (infinite relation tn the rate of flaw of the fluid iiei 2 metered. This agentis ghnwn as being {he Pimt tube tip and as having a set of E: iii nr'ifit'ns: S and trail ng m'itii-es 9. My invantinn is not iimitmi tn t is type pf agent, hnWm'e-r. but. may bei used with ihGY typos as veiL type iiin trateii being only by way (if example.

Competing; the ie-aiiing and tmiiing iegs of tha U-tube with tin agvnt 7 :ii'ethe pipes 10 mm} H. such mnnwtinm being made tI-mmgii suitable T mupiinps l2 and 13. It nil. be lluiw'i that tin: pipes 10 and H are vnnnavted to the agent- 7 in the same horizontai plane whereby the static heads on navn side of the U-tnhe are normally 0f. the same height. Conneotnd to pipes 40 and 11 by way of the T cnupiings 12 and 13 are, the anti 15 which iend to points re -i})('-.(tiVPi V above and if tiOW the piston 16 in hint or resvi'vnii' 17. This tube in closed at the bntmm and contains :1 'nndv of heavier mi asinwcnry 18 upon wiiivh rests a y of Wntm' if). flair i is but wwn the Water and mercury being w neninitv iminw the point win-re pipe 14 3 'ns tho tni'm. The p ston 16 is wholly sul nwnzed in the Water :1 n-xi is: married hf. the Hunt 530 Whi ii rifles on he? :z'n-rmry. The piston is'fitteii sufficiently looseiy H as to move without appreciable fri riinni Th; who 17 X'S insed at the top by a, mver 21. mnnnted np'n wniCh is the vyiindor 22, having Hm piston 23 therein. This piston is: fitted Snfiicientiy loosely to move: without appreciable frivtion and is connected to the piston 1 by stem snitniiifi bu hing 25 which acts also as a COUH'K'LIYii'Nting with the cylinder i i'ippositn sides of piston .23 are the .1 x 7 and .1 mm ,emi respect vely to the Wading and trailing sides of the agent 7i These connections are shown as being sis through openings separate from those of I ciple of operation of my invention together pipes and 11 and I find this a convenient arrangement with the type of agent 7 as illustrated. It will be understood, however, that these connections may be otherwise arranged as it is only essential to the embodiment of my invention illustrated that they be arranged so as to convey the leading and trailing pressures to opposite sides of piston 23. Communication of the pipes with the agent 7 is controlled by suitable hand valves marked 30.

The operation is as follows: Assume that the meter is connected to a conduit through which steam to be metered is flowing and that with a certain rate of flow the parts are in the position as shown. Under these circumstances the water 19 in tube 17 will be at the level of the lower edge of pipe 15. The upper surface of piston 23 is subjected to the pressure on the leading side of the agent 7 through pipe 26 and the lower surface of this piston is subjected to the pressure on the trailin side of the agent 7 through the pipe 27. T 0 upper and lower surfaces of the piston 16 are subjected to the trailing and leading pressures of the agent 7 through pipes and 14- rcspectively. The piston 23 18 larger than piston 16, however. so that the resultant is a downward pressure on piston 2-3 which is proportional to the pressure difference created by the agent. This downward pressure is opposed by the buoyancy of the float 20 so that piston 16 is held at some intermediate point in a state of equilibrium. If now a change in the rate of flow takes place, as for example, the rate increases this will result in an increase in the pressure difference set up by the agent 7, whereupon the mercury and water in the leading leg will be displaced, i. e. forced downward, while that in the trailing leg will be forced upward; that is, the column of water in pipe 10 will fall while that in pipe 11 spills over as indicated by the arrows. At. the same time, however, that the water in pipe l0 falls, the piston 23 will be acted upon by the increased pressure and forced slightly downward. This in turn will lower piston 16, by' which movement water from the tube or reservoir 17 will be forced through. pipe 14 into the pipe 10 to immediately till the same to the highest level. At the same time the water forced from pipe 11 will pass over into the reservoir to maintain the level thereof. As will be evident any water which may be lost from the reservoir will. be replaced by condensation, so that t would be immaterial if more or less of the spill were to pass into the conduit. Upon a decrease in the rate of flow a corresponding action, only in the opposite direction, takes place as will be obvious.

In accordance with the provisions of the pulent statutes, I have described the prinwith the a paratus which I now consider to represent t e best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a flow meter for condensable vapors, the combination of a U-tube manometer containing a body of heav liquid, an agent for creating a pressure di erence which bears a definite relation to the rate of flow of the fluid being metered, pipes connecting the manometer and a cut, said pipes normally being filled with liquid due to condensation and forming a pressure transmitting system between said agent and manometer, the pressure ditference set up by said agent acting to displace liquid from one part of said system. and means for positively forcing liquid into the system when a change in the rate of flow occurs to replace the liquid displaced from the system due to such change.

2. In a flow meter for condensable vapors, a U'tube manometer, an agent for creating a pressure difference which bears a definite relation to the rate of flow of the fluid being metered. pipes connecting the manometer and agent, said pipes being filled with liquid due to condensation, and means controlled by the pressure difference set up by the agent for maintaining the pipes at all times filled with such liquid.

3. In a flow meter for condensable vapors, a- U-tube manometer, an agent for creating a pressure difi'erence which bears a definite relation to the rate of flow of the fluid being metered, pipes connecting the manometer and agent, said pipes being filled with liquid due to condensation, a reservoir containing liquid due to condensation connected to said pipes, and means for positively feeding liquid from the reservoir to the pipes to keep the same at all times filled.

4. In a steam flow meter, the combination of a U-tube manometer, an agent for creating a pressure difference which bears a definite relation to the rate of flow of the fluid being metered, pipes connecting the manometer and agent, said pipes being filled with water, a reservoir containing water connected to said pi )es, and means controlled by the pressure dili erence set up by said agent for feeding water from said reservoir to the pipes to keep the same at; all times filled.

5. In a steam flow meter, the combination of a U-tube manometer, an agent for creating a pressure difference which bears a definite relation to the rate of flow of the fluid being metered, pipes connecting the manometer and agent, said pipes being filled with water, a reservoir containing Water, a piston in said reservoir, pipes connecting the first named pipes to said reservoir upon opposite sides of said piston, and means for moving said piston.

(3. In a How meter for condensable vapors, a U-tube manometer, an agent for creating a pressure difference which bears a definite relation to the rate of flow of the fluid being metered, pipes connecting the manometer and agent, said pipes being filled with liquid due to condensation, a reservoir containing liquid, a piston in said reservoir, pipes connecting the first named pipes to said reservoir upon opposite sides of said piston, a

float connected to said piston upon one side a pre isure operated device connected to said iston upon the other, and means for sub- 15 ecting said pressure operated device to the pressure difference set up by said agent.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of January 1914.

JAMES WILKINSON.

Witnesses HELEN Onrom), MARGARET E. WOLLEY. 

